'Lucky' Bolivia end six-year drought against Brazil, advance to World Cup playoff from South America

Riding on Miguel Terceros' 45th-minute penalty, Bolivia defeated Brazil 1-0 on Tuesday in South American qualifying. Bolivians were lucky enough to advance to the playoff tournament for the 2026 World Cup after Colombia’s win over Venezuela helped their cause. It was a double delight for Bolivia, which is aiming to qualify for its fourth World Cup and first since 1994, as they overcame Brazil at home for the first time since 2019.


The playoff tournament, which will involve six nations, will be played in March 2026 to decide the last two spots for the FIFA World Cup to be played next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Uruguay, Colombia and Uruguay South American are the South American teams which have already made it to the next year's World Cup, as the last round of the qualifiers was meant to decide the team to advance to the international playoff.



Luis Diaz starred with four goals as Colombia - who finished in third place in the qualifiers - posted a big 6-3 win over Venezuela, helping Bolivians advance to the World Cup playoff tournament. Diaz scored in the 42nd, 50th, 59th and 67th minutes while Yerry Mina and Jhon Cordoba also chipped in the 10th and 75th minutes respectively.

Also on Tuesday, Ecuador defeated reigning champions Argentina 1-0 while Uruguay finished the qualifying tournament with a goalless draw against Chile, and Paraguay edged Peru 1-0. Enner Valencia converted from the penalty spot in the 45th minute. The 35-year-old Valencia scored the all-important winning goal for the Ecuadorians, who finished second in the South American standings with 29 points behind Argentina's 38.